The Road to Becoming Durga
by Maintenant
Summary: Drabbles on Tsukasa's interactions with the different characters of TCP, and the road to becoming Kuryuguumi's Durga. Rated for swearing and mentions of violence and sex.
1. Good Job

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Tokyo Crazy Paradise

 **A/N:** I'm not an Asago fan, especially the annoying Asago from the beginning of the manga, as you can probably tell.

This was really confusing because the third-person narrator kind of switched between the POVs of Tsukasa and the 2 bodyguards, so I had to keep switching pronouns for Tsukasa all the time.

* * *

Tsukasa could only curse in her head as she heard Asago's childish rant.

Tsukasa understood the girl was worried for her father, no, really, she did. It wasn't every day your father is shot at, and hit (although it was probably more common in the yakuza world than the civilian one). It sucked. Tsukasa had actually lost her parents not that long ago due to the yakuza – she understood Asago's feelings more than most.

But that did not allow the annoying monkey to blame whomever she pleased.

Asago shouldn't be reprimanding the bodyguards for not catching the wannabe assassins, but rather praising them for managing to save her father! They did the best they were able to with the tools at their disposal! They can't magically both shield her father, make sure he's unhurt, _and_ run after the culprit. Even Tuskasa wasn't that good!

(Frankly, Tsukasa thought the Silver Dragon Clan was a bit lacking in their security. The boss only had two bodyguards on him. Ryuuji had Tsukasa with him at all times, Bun-san and Kamo-san most of the time, and on top of that was an incredible fighter himself. But maybe that was an unfair comparison to make.)

Tsukasa looked to her right where the Sumon Branch Head's bodyguards were silently accepting the humiliating dressing down delivered by the Sumon princess. The cross dresser was dearly tempted to kick Asago in the face right now when she saw the bodyguards' shoulders progressively becoming more hunched, and their expressions more pained. Couldn't Asago see how guilty the two bodyguards already felt? Did she have to make them feel even worse?! Especially when they had actually done a good job in the first place?!

Then Tsukasa remembered how Asago felt about bodyguards – she had likened them to meat shields, hadn't she? Only use was to get hit by bullets to shield their clients. Tsukasa was disgusted with this disregard for human life. It showed an appalling lack of respect for the people that were risking their lives to help the blonde girl's family!

"-absolutely USELESS!"

It seemed Asago had finally finished her tirade.

When Tsukasa looked back up, her expression was stony, so different from the usual carefree and humorous faces she was famous for. Ryuuji, of course, noticed, as he noticed everything about Tsukasa. He could guess as to the reasons for such a face, and silently agreed. Honestly, Asago still had to grow up a lot before she'd become a good seisai.

Aoki and Matsuda, the bodyguards that had received the verbal beat down in question, felt an intense aura to their left that managed to distract them from their overwhelming guilt. They were startled to find the Sandaime's bodyguard with a grave expression. It surprised them, as they had always seen him being silly, comical, or overly dramatic. Not someone people would really take seriously. Now, though, faced with such intensity, they could understand a little better why someone like this had been chosen by Sandaime to be his bodyguard.

Tsukasa's expression sent ice through their veins.

The person that not two minutes ago had been acting like a kid on a sugar high now stood calm and composed, the image of a powerful force of nature, deserving of respect. He was staring at the young Sumon girl, eyes hard with disapproval. Somehow, the two bodyguards couldn't tear their gazes away. Something about that person's aura demanded their attention.

"You two! I want you out! Out of this room! I can't stand to see your incompetent faces!" Asago cried, startling them out of their incomprehensible focus on the Sandaime's bodyguard.

Aoki and Matsuda succeeded in tearing their gazes away from Tsukasa and back to their mistress. Silently and obediently, they left the room, but waited right outside the doors. Even after the humiliating way they were treated they still diligently carried out their duty as bodyguards.

They almost didn't notice when a third figure followed them out.

Tsukasa couldn't bear to stay in the same room as that ungrateful harpy anymore. If she stayed there any longer, she'd either throttle the harpy or spontaneously combust out of pure irritation. _Honestly, to think that such annoying people exist in the world,_ she thought. _Why does Ryuuji even put up with her?_

Tsukasa also had an alternate reason for leaving the room. And they were conveniently standing right outside the door.

Aoki and Matsuda watched, perplexed, as Tsukasa followed them out of the room. When he wasn't jumping or rolling around, they noticed, he moved with a fluid grace found only in experienced fighters. As though the boy was intensely aware of each part of his body, making no unnecessary movements. It seemed he was ready for anything that may occur.

Aoki and Matsuda were ex-military. They knew a fighter when they saw one. And that deadly grace couldn't be faked.

The two men felt their respect for the civilian boy involuntarily go up a notch. Perhaps, despite others' protests, the Sandaime _did_ choose his bodyguard wisely.

But Tsukasa was not done surprising them.

As Tsukasa turned around to look at the two men, they felt the weight of the young boy's gaze. Physically, they towered over the young boy, and yet he emitted such an aura of utter domination, that they felt small and inconsequential in comparison. Upon feeling the boy's eyes on them, the two immediately shifted to attention, straightening their spines and pushing their shoulders back as though they were in the presence of a superior. The two bodyguards didn't understand their reactions, but they didn't question – they couldn't question. Not under the weight of that intense stare.

"What are your names?" Tsukasa asked.

Suddenly, both men bowed.

"Aoki Tanegawa, s-!" Aoki cut himself off.

"Matsuda Fujiwara!" Matsuda shouted right after.

Both men had to bite off the "sir" that was at the tip of their tongues after saying their names. Why were they both acting this way towards a civilian _gaki_?

"Aoki Tanegawa and Matsuda Fujiwara, huh?" Tsukasa mused to himself, "Those are good, strong names."

The lighthearted air that came with Tsukasa's musings abruptly ended as the boy focused piercing green eyes on them. All of their attention was focused solely on the mysterious being in front of them. The bodyguard's aura was still strong- not oppressive so much as overwhelming. Unable to be ignored.

"Good job, both of you."

The bodyguards abruptly looked up from their bowed positions, startled. On Tsukasa's face was an almost proud smile, one that inexplicably filled Aoki and Matsuda with warmth. Oddly, they were reminded of a mother, proud of her children after they had done something well.

They were quickly reminded of what she could be talking about, however, and soon began to protest.

"Not at all, Tsukasa-san!" Aoki vehemently contradicted, "We have failed! Under our supervision, the boss was wounded! He has to stay at the hospital for a month due to our failure to protect him!"

"Not only that," continued Matsuda, "but we also failed to capture the culprit. Asago-sama was right! We are useless and - "

"Quiet!" The loud order cut Matsuda off.

The two bodyguards straightened and abruptly became silent.

"You will listen to me," Tsukasa began slowly. "You did not fail." Tsukasa glared sharply at them, silencing their forthcoming protests. "Yes, the Sumon boss was wounded," Tsukasa admitted.  
"But he is alive. _You two_ were the ones who kept him alive. No human could've both shielded the boss from assassins, made sure the boss didn't aggravate his wound, and gone after the culprits! You had to choose between making sure your boss was safe and going after the assassins. You chose to ensure your boss's safety. You did _exactly_ as you should have done! And you were most _certainly_ not useless!" Both bodyguards looked at the 14-year-old bodyguard, stunned. Each word seemed to be relieving them of a bit of their burden. "If I hear _either_ of you listening to that spoiled girl's inane rants, and actually taking them to heart, again there will be hell to pay! Do you understand that?"

"Yes, sir!" came the automatic reply.

"Good." Tsukasa paused, voice back to a normal. "Now I'll repeat myself."

Tsukasa took a deep breath, calming herself before opening her eyes. She looked at both bodyguards before steadily responding.

"Good job."

Aoki and Matsuda looked at the young bodyguard, moved. They felt proud again, reassured that they had not failed. There was only one thing they could say. Simultaneously bowing low, they shouted:

"Thank you, sir!"

* * *

Later, Aoki and Matsuda would tell others of what had happened, of how the civilian _gaki_ that the Sandaime had taken as a bodyguard was more than he seemed. Of the powerful aura he commanded, as well as his surprising insights and warm acceptance. _A good leader_ , Aoki and Matsuda had said, _worthy of being beside the Sandaime._ Tsukasa had not realized, but she had inadvertently gained two followers for life in Aoki and Matsuda.

The story told by the two bodyguards spread to _kumin_ in the different branches, mostly treated with disbelief. Years later, however, as Tsukasa sat beside Ryuuji as the seisai (and a woman), people would think back on this story and wonder how they hadn't seen it coming.


	2. Motherly Instinct

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Crazy Paradise

* * *

Shigaraki woke up to a white ceiling. Which was weird, because, as far as he could remember, his room didn't have a white ceiling.

Confused, he looked left, where he found a series of hospital beds. _Ah_ , he realized. _I must be in Kuryugumi's hospital wing_. His whole body ached, as though he had received a good beating, so that must be why.

He heard snoring to his right, and turned to look, ignoring the protests his body was making.

He almost jumped at the sight. There, sleeping soundly, was his rival amongst the _kumin_ , Mukou. Damn, that idiot copied him in everything he did! He dressed the same, talked the same, acted the same! He was so irritating!

And now he was even in the same damn hospital wing!

Shigaraki was about to shout or kick the idiot out of the bed or _something_ , when he heard a voice that sent chills down his spine.

"Now, now, Shigaraki. Be a good boy and let your friend rest a bit more. He needs his sleep. In fact, you should also lie down – you're still not properly healed!"

Slowly, Shigaraki turned his head around. It was like the scene out of a horror scene, where the protagonist knows some eldritch horror is behind them, doesn't want to look at it, yet is somehow compelled to look back.

Sure enough, behind him was the demon made flesh. Tsukasa.

It was all coming back to him. The reason he was here. He and Mukou had put aside their rivalry to defeat a common enemy – Tsukasa.

The brat was so annoying! It was always "tuck in your shirt before you go out", and "play nice with your friends", and "stop glaring like that. You look like a yakuza", which was the _bloody point_ because he _was_ a yakuza.

Both he and Mukou agreed that the brat had to be taught a lesson once and for all, and so created a temporary alliance to get rid of the kid. Of course, as was obvious by the fact he and Mukou were in the hospital wing, they failed. The crazy bodyguard had ridiculous reflexes – they couldn't even touch him! No matter what they did, Tsukasa evaded it without even really trying. It was so frustrating! Made even worse by the fact that this was a civilian brat, not even really part of the yakuza. Only reason he was even there was because the Sandaime had taken an interest in him (a small voice in the back of his head told him the Sandaime was wise to choose such a skilled bodyguard, but he chose to ignore it).

"Oi." Shigaraki called. He wouldn't be intimidated by a high school civilian brat, damn it!

"Hmmm?" Was Tsukasa's noncommittal answer as she browsed through a magazine laying around.

Shigaraki hesitated, but then continued on. "Why didn't you tell the Sandaime about our attacks?"

Because the brat hadn't. Shigaraki was mildly impressed that Tsukasa hadn't immediately gone to the Sandaime to report their violent behavior. He had expected the civilian brat to go running to tattle on them, therefore earning them a serious punishment. The brat hadn't, though, resolving, he was guessing, to deal with the issue himself, and even going so far as to bringing them to the hospital wing and healing them after beating them up.

 _This kid makes no sense! Is he even human?_ Shigaraki paused. It would actually make sense if the kid wasn't human. If he wasn't, that would explain his monstrous fighting skill.

"Because there was no need to," Tsukasa replied simply, still leafing through the magazine.

 _What the hell? What does that even mean?_ Was Tsukasa saying that they were such minimal threats to him that they didn't even register? Or was he saying that the Sandaime was much too busy dealing with kuryuugumi politics to be paying attention to them? Or did he mean that, contrary to popular opinion, Tsukasa _wasn't_ the Sandaime's favorite. _Can't this kid be clear for once in his life?!_

While silently raging inside his head, Shigaraki noticed that Mukou had woken up during their pseudo-conversation. Mukou also seemed confused. _Good, I'm not the only one then._

Tsukasa seemed to have noticed the wakening of his rival as well.

"Ah, you're both awake then. Good, I have something to tell you," The bodyguard leaned forward.

They were going to get scolded, Shigaraki was sure of it. Frankly, he should've seen it coming. No normal person would simply not address the attacks made to his person, after all. Shigaraki braced himself, oddly not that indignant at the thought of being scolded by a civilian _gaki_ years his junior, and saw Mukou doing the same.

"It's about Ryuuji." Tsukasa started.

"We underst- wait, what?" Shigaraki had expected to be berated for attacking Tsukasa, where did Sandaime-sama enter the picture? And how dare Tsukasa refer to Sandaime-sama so familiarly? Mukou had a similar look of confusion on his face.

"As you know, he's currently attending junior high with me." Yeah, they knew, but where the hell was this going? "Some time ago, there was an… incident. As such, our school thought that Ryuuji was responsible for it, and threatened to expel him. Somehow, a few friends and I managed to convince the school board to be a bit more lenient." To this, the brat seemed to sigh whimsically. It was an oddly flattering expression on him. "They agreed to not expel him if he managed to stay out of trouble for the entirety of winter break. Of course, this includes all the kumin in the Kuryuugumi who work under him." Tsukasa paused, looking at them to make sure they understood. "I want Ryuuji to be able to finish high school, and I know he wants to too. So I'm asking you, will you please try to behave this winter break, for Ryuuji?"

And damn, Shigaraki had never noticed what beautiful eyes Tsukasa had. They were so soulful, so big, it made you unable to deny the bearer of those eyes anything. He found himself nodding despite himself.

Quickly distracting himself from that line of thought, Shigaraki focused on what the young bodyguard had just said. _So_ that's _why the brat has been extra annoying these days_. Tsukasa wanted to make sure that Sandaime-sama wasn't expelled. How… considerate. Was that really the role of a bodyguard? Looking out for Sandaime-sama's emotional health as well? Then again, no one was really sure exactly what the two's relationship was like. It seemed to be a mixture of professional bodyguard relationship, bitter animosity, and close friendship. It was rumored that Tsukasa was the only one who could make the Sandaime smile. Of course, no one dared to ask the Sandaime these questions. And Tsukasa just never gave an answer that could be understood by sane humans.

"Thank you for understanding. Please inform the rest of the kumin of the situation."

Shigaraki nodded again, not bothered by the fact that he had received an order from a civilian _gaki_ for some reason.

"Well then, now that that's taken care of, you should rest."

A surprisingly gentle hand pushed him back down to the bed. Stunned, and a bit confused as to what was happening, Shigaraki allowed himself to be pushed down. Tsukasa brought some ice packs to be applied to the bruises, and meticulously made sure every bruise was covered. Once he was done with him, he moved on to help Mukou, whom, Shigaraki noticed, also seemed at a loss as to what to do. After dealing with Mukou's wounds, Tsukasa sat on a chair between them. The young bodyuguard looked at him again, and tenderly brushed Shigaraki's hair away from his eyes.

Shigaraki had never had a mother before. Well, he _had,_ but she had been a raging alcoholic that abandoned him when he was seven. It was actually after trying to steal from Sandaime-sama during his days as a street urchin that he joined the kuumin. Sandaime was almost a father figure, someone to admire and who took care of him, despite the yakuza boss being years younger. A real mother though… he had never experienced one. Neither had Mukou, for that matter, being an orphan and a street urchin as well. He guessed that this was what it felt like to have a mother though. Someone caring for you, supporting you, gently brushing your hair away from your eyes. He supposed even her nagging for him to dress better and not look so much like a yakuza were things a mother would do.

He almost laughed. To think he'd end up considering a 14-year old _boy_ to be his mother. A boy that had just kicked his ass and landed him in the hospital wing. He would have laughed, if he weren't feeling so vulnerable at the moment. He was sure Mukou felt the same.

Tsukasa, as though sensing their vulnerability, softly smiled.

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

Shigaraki felt the tension leek out of his body. Strangely, he felt utterly safe, and it wasn't only because he knew of Tsukasa's inhuman abilities. Tsukasa started humming a lullaby. Slowly, he felt his eyelids become heavy and close. Mukou was already snoring away again next to him.

He had never slept so well in his life.


	3. Midnight Visit

**Disclaimer:** I don't won Tokyo Crazy Paradise. Tears.

 **Warning:** This chapter contains an almost-sex scene. If you don't feel comfortable with such, please don't read.

* * *

Ryuuji awoke to the sound of soft footsteps. Most people would've tensed, or jolted awake. But he was the Sandaime of the largest crime syndicate in the Kanto region (and expanding), and he didn't make such amateur mistakes. Assassins sent to kill him in the dead of night were nothing new, and he knew exactly how to deal with the situation.

What he _was_ surprised about was how the assassin had gotten into his room, though. He was, after all, sleeping in a heavily fortified mansion, full of his followers, all armed and ready to attack unknowns. No alarm had been raised either, so the assassin had infiltrated, and reached the boss's room no less, without anyone noticing. Truly, this person was skilled. The assassin's skill wouldn't help him or her much now, however.

Ryuuji kept lying still, remembering to take deep, even breaths, continuing the charade of sleep. He knew exactly where all the possible escape routes were, the main door, the window, the hidden door behind the mirror, the secret latch that could be reached with his foot that would expel smoke in order to hide Ryuuji and allow him to grab a gun. At this moment, his hand laid over a button, hidden beneath the covers, that would let the bed fall through a hidden door in the floor, therefore allowing Ryuuji to escape.

"Ryuuji"

The Sandaime was just about to press the button when he heard the supposed assassin whisper his name. Not his title, or his last name, but his first name. And not a threatening whisper either, but rather a seductive one. A low, sultry sound that promised sinful acts under the covers. Or on the rug. Or in the bathroom. Or on the desk table.

 _Damn it, I'm usually better at controlling myself than this._ Despite being only 14, the Sandaime had been with several women. It had practically been part of his education – the leader of the kumin couldn't allow himself to be controlled through sex, after all. If not, women like the Gold dragon clan's daughter might've been able to take advantage of him (although probably not. Her attempts were rather pitiful, honestly. He was expecting more).

No, the only reason he was being affected like this was because he recognized that voice.

"Ryuuji"

He opened his eyes. And there, in front of him, stood Tsukasa. She was wearing the racy red underwear he had given her (he never thought she'd wear it so soon. He only wanted to see her reaction. Her red face and indignant screams satisfied the part of him that craved her attention), along with a matching red camisole. It molded itself to the curves of her body, accentuating her chest perfectly. As she walked closer to him, _except that movement can't be called walking, it's too seductive – too dangerous – to be called walking_ , she was slowly illuminated by the moonlight shining through his windows. And all of a sudden he noticed that the camisole was _sheer_ , and he could see her bare breasts and _nipples_ underneath the material, and _oh god, I don't think I can take this._

With a start, he realized he was sitting on his bed instead of lying down, an unconscious act done in order to get a better look. Tsukasa was now crawling to him on all fours, resembling a predatory feline, _a lioness or a panther, some sort of graceful animal that can eat you alive while smiling_ , instead of the dog she usually resembled. And Ryuuji had never been so turned on.

Asago had paraded around naked in front of him, and he had felt nothing. The Gold clan's daughter had given herself (and her humongous breasts) to him, and he felt a passive interest, only encouraging that interest in order to get information on her clan's dealings out of her. He had seen hundreds of scantily clad women in front of him before, but nothing compared to what he felt at that moment.

As Tsukasa got closer, he felt immobilized. She placed her legs on either side of his, sitting comfortably in his lap. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, his face right in front of hers. Ryuuji could smell her scent, a natural foresty one that reminded him of moonlight and fresh air. He could feel her soft center, and felt his own member respond, as though reaching out for her.

Before he knew it, his arms were wrapped around her torso, and she started _moving._ Her hips were moving in maddening little circles, and Ryuuji felt his carefully built control begin to slip.

He tried using logic. He knew this was "sexy Tsukasa", an alternate personality developed after _his_ Tsukasa was shot with the inverted cross bullet. She had developed a sweet personality and a sexy one, switching between the two when someone hit her on the head. "Sexy Tsukasa" had almost kissed him earlier today, would have succeeded had Asago not rushed (unneeded and unwanted, really) into the scene and hit Tsukasa on the head, changing her back into her blushing and disgustingly innocent "sweet Tsukasa". Tsukasa must have somehow hit her head on something between then and now, turning her into "sexy Tsukasa" once more.

For a few brief moments, Ryuuji indulged in the delusion that this was _his_ Tsukasa. That she had realized his feeling for her and felt the same way. That she was ready to give herself to him, body and soul. And _oh god, I_ need _her body and soul._

But his Tsukasa wouldn't let him touch her this way, at least not yet (he was working on it). And he didn't want his first times with Tsukasa to be with someone who wasn't _his_ Tsukasa. _I won't let my first kiss with Tsukasa happen because she was under the influence of some drug._ He paused. _Fuck, I'm starting to sound like some sappy romantic._

Abruptly, he turned Tsukasa around, pinning her to the bed so that he had complete control over her movements. He took one last, lingering look, simultaneously cursing and applauding himself for _ever_ buying her that maddeningly sexy red camisole (and making a mental note that she looked _very_ good in red for future reference). Feeling his resolve crumbling away, he quickly took the nearest object (a lamp, as it so happens), and hit Tsukasa over the head with it, before he changed his mind and ravaged the minx right then and there.

There. The deed was done. He could breathe again.

Except a shrill cry pierced his ears.

"KYAAAAAAAA! RYUJI YOU BEAST! NOW I CAN NEVER GET MARRIED!"

And with that, "sweet Tsukasa" fled the room, leaving Ryuuji hot, bothered, and alone.

It was a long night.

* * *

 **A/N:** Ryuuji showing his love for Tsukasa in his own way. I love them.


	4. Babysitting

**Disclaimer** : I do not won Tokyo Crazy Paradise, unfortunately. If I did, Asago would not have gotten away with shooting Tsukasa' brothers, among other things.

 **A/N:** This takes place in Ch. 20, with the New Heaven Tokio explosions. Hope you enjoy! Be warned: This chapter is not nice to Asago!

* * *

"It's a tea stalk! A tea stalk, Asago-ojousan!"

Asago gave her best imitation of a death glare. Shibuya, affectionately dubbed Bun-san by Tsukasa, was not impressed.

"What about it?" She snapped.

"Well… It is said that it is good luck to have a tea stalk floating erect. So don't you worry, Sandaime will come back safe and sound!" He continued. And indeed, in his tea was a perfectly straight tea stalk, bobbing up and down.

"I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT!" Asago yelled shrilly. And then she started muttering, "Of course he'll come back safely! Nonsense!" With a low growl, she abruptly stood up and stomped away.

They were currently stuck waiting in New Heaven Tokio, said to be the island closest to Heaven. It was a Southern Hemisphere resort, full of sun, beaches, and rides. People would have been cheerfully exploring the place… were it not under a terrorist attack. Bombs had been going off every ten minutes, and people were becoming more and more panicked. Bun-san thought it was closer to Hell than Heaven. He did not think this because of the general panic amongst the crowd around him, however. He thought this because he was subject to Asago's, the seisai candidate, temper tantrum. He'd much rather be dealing with the bomb crisis. Or even get blown up. Anything to escape his current predicament.

Bun-san sighed as he heard Asago start yelling again. He could hear her despite the distance between them. _This is the reason why I hate babysitting._

Absently, he thought of Tsukasa, and wondered why he never felt he was babysitting her. Usually, she'd be considered more childish than Asago. Whereas Asago was stern, Tsukasa was made happy by the simplest of things. Always fascinated by something. More often than not jumping around like a kid on a sugar high. One of the few people anyone can attribute the word "frolicking" to while not being sarcastic. Yet, despite all of these seemingly childish qualities, dealing with Tsukasa never felt like babysitting.

Instead, she seemed to suck people in, making them go at her own pace. In her presence, everyone became a child. Numerous times, Bun-san found himself and Kamojima going along with her ill-conceived plots, acting in ways they had never even dared to with the Sandaime before she had come along. He'd seen the effect happen on enemies as well. Tsukasa would go off on another of her tangents and the enemies would become fascinated, eventually joining her. A few were immune to her ability, but they were easily dealt with through her other skills – namely her ridiculous fighting ability (and it was sometimes frightening, just how good she was. Before he had realized it, Bun-san had come to trust her not only with his life, but with the Sandaime's as well).

Yes, Tsukasa created an often-childish world of fantasy – half of the time she was in her own little nonsensical world full of flowers, dogs, and other things Bun-san didn't think he'd ever quite understand. Yet, she managed to captivate people and pull them into her world. Dealing with Tsukasa was never like babysitting; it was like exploring, going on an adventure. Even the Sandaime (especially the Sandaime, a small part of his brain he tried to ignore whispered to him), was affected by it.

Despite Tsukasa's childlike qualities, there was a certain maturity to her. She deeply sympathized with others, shouldering their hardships with ease. She knew emotional and physical pain intimately, and while other might have been crippled by it, she managed to overcome them and use them as a weapon. She did not let the cruelty of the world, the careless acts of violence that she encountered each day, destroy her. In fact, her childish aspects were a testament to her strength. Despite seeing all the things she had seen, Tsukasa managed to retain a sort of innocence through sheer strength of character. Bun-san had to admit he admired her.

So, no. He never felt like he had to babysit Tsukasa. Honestly, sometimes he felt she took care of him.

She was always making sure that he and Kamo-san were healthy, along with the Sandaime. Actually, she did that with all of the kuumin, something he noticed earned her frustrated, exasperated, resigned, and reluctantly fond looks in equal measure. She showered all of them with affection (and the endless affection she was able to feel for almost anybody was another trait he had initially deemed childlike, only to later conclude was a product of her strength), and cared for them in her own way. He remembered the day she had loudly barged into his room with a confused Kamo-san in tow and told them that they were training. _Immediately._ She had complained about their abysmal shooting skills and said that she wouldn't stand for it any longer. He would have been offended that a civilian was telling him, a yakuza, one of the Sandaime's bodyguards (although that hadn't really been part of the job description anymore since she had joined and promptly shamed them with her skills), had she not been that bloody good. He and Kamo-san had automatically obeyed the intimidating woman and followed her to the shooting range. Tsukasa had then shown them how to shoot a target accurately (and since when could she wield a gun?! Was she just automatically good at any weapon she touched?), and corrected their stances when they imitated her. By the end of the training session he was sore and tired, but his aim had improved exponentially, and so had Kamo-san's.

Idly noting that Asago had come close to him again and had started on another of her rants, Bun-san wished he were with the Sandaime and Tsukasa (with the real possibility of dying via bomb, although he doubted something as petty as a bomb could kill those two), instead of with Asago. _Kamojima is so lucky…_

* * *

Finally, the Sandaime, Tsukasa, Kamojima, and a large, handsome man Bun-san didn't know appeared again. Immediately, Asago went towards Sandaime-sama.

"Welcome back, Ryuji", she whispered.

"Yea", was the Sandaime's eloquent response.

Asago seemed near tears, and hugged the Sandaime tightly.

"I'm glad you're okay".

The scene would have been touching had it not looked so stilted, and had Bun-san not had to deal with the annoying brat for the past hour. He wasn't feeling very charitable towards her at the moment. _Bad, bad Shibuya… that's the future seisai. Your future boss. You have to be nice._

Bun-san was startled out of his thoughts as Asago tried to hit Tsukasa, only for her hand to be expertly caught. She then started yelling at Tsukasa, blaming her for endangering the Sandaime's life (even though she had not asked Sandaime-sama to help her), accusing her of incompetence.

It was especially at times like this that Bun-san thought that it was Asago, and not Tsukasa, who was childish. Asago's fragile emotional state, her tendency to always put the blame on others, her unreasonable temper… they all reminded him of a small, immature child. In comparison, Tsukasa, who took all of this abuse with grace (as well as her unique ability to travel to a nonsensical world), seemed much more mature.

 _It wouldn't be bad to have Tsukasa as a boss…_ But that was a dangerous line of thought. Bun-san knew Kamo-san had already given in to that line of thought, in fact was its biggest advocate, constantly doing everything in his power to encourage it, but Bun-san knew it would be nigh impossible for Tsukasa, a civilian, to be his boss (by marrying Sandaime-sama went unsaid).

It was only much later that Bun-san found out how wrong he was.

But he was right about one thing. Tsukasa did make an excellent boss.


End file.
